TECHNOLOGY
RETH NKING security
USING
NEW TECHNOLOGY AND GOOD OLD-FASHIONED MANPOWER TO KEEP A HOTEL SAFE .
Contributed by JULIANA SHALLCROSS
At the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica , California , — an eye-catching , modern glass and metal building just a few blocks from touristy Santa Monica Pier — guest and employee security has always been taken seriously , especially since the hotel ’ s parking garage is open to the public .
After the tragedy in Las Vegas last October , when a hotel guest shot and killed 58 concertgoers from his suite 32 stories above the festival grounds , the hotel has become even more vigilant .
“ Definitely what happened in Las Vegas opened our eyes ,” says Andrew De Boer , director of security for the Shore Hotel and its sister properties , Santa Monica Motel and the Ocean View Hotel .
Since that event , the hotel has implemented welfare checks after three days for guests who keep a Do Not Disturb sign on their door , a policy many hotels in Las Vegas and other major cities began implementing or enforcing after the shooting .
‘ SENSE OF SECURITY ’ That might seem intrusive for hotels in the United States , but according to Michael O ’ Rourke , founder of Advanced Operational Concepts , an international security consulting firm , visible security is common at hotels in several Asian and Middle East countries and often is welcomed by guests .
“ Armed security is expected at entrances and in lobbies , and guests take comfort in this highly visible deterrent ,” he says . Uniformed officers also often inspect cars entering hotel parking garages .
One hotel in Las Vegas , the Westgate , is piloting the use of short-range radar to detect weapons on people without subjecting guests to metal detectors . The radar hotspots are unseen by guests and can be placed within existing furniture . ( While Nevada is an “ open-carry ” state , most casinos and hotels forbid people from bringing firearms into their properties .)
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